LABOUR lost control of Torfaen council in a shock local election upset.

The authority was seen as one of the party's safest strongholds, but one by one throughout the night shocked Labour councillors were voted out of office, losing a total of 16 seats.

Labour remain the largest single party with 18 seats, but the number of non-Labour councillors has shot up to 26 from just ten at the last election.

There is already talk of the independents, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Plaid and People's Voice councillors forming a coalition group to run the authority.